Fighter of the Year: Cain Velasquez

Filed under: Fighting, UFCAt 6-foot-1 and around 240 pounds, Cain Velasquez is no small man in the ordinary world, but among the UFC’s supersized heavyweights, he hardly stands out for his size.

In fact, many heavyweights are either taller or heavier …

Filed under: ,

Cain VelasquezAt 6-foot-1 and around 240 pounds, Cain Velasquez is no small man in the ordinary world, but among the UFC’s supersized heavyweights, he hardly stands out for his size.

In fact, many heavyweights are either taller or heavier than Velasquez, and most are both. Yet by the end of 2010, it was Velasquez that reigned over the group of monster athletes.

For capturing the UFC heavyweight championship and completing a rapid rise to the top, Velasquez is MMA Fighting’s 2010 Fighter of the Year.

WEC 53 Live Blog: Ben Henderson vs. Anthony Pettis Updates

Filed under: WECGLENDALE, Ariz. — This is the WEC 53 live blog for Ben Henderson vs. Anthony Pettis, the main event of tonight’s WEC on Versus event from the Jobing.com Arena.

Henderson defends his lightweight title for the last time against Pettis. …

Filed under:

GLENDALE, Ariz. — This is the WEC 53 live blog for Ben Henderson vs. Anthony Pettis, the main event of tonight’s WEC on Versus event from the Jobing.com Arena.

Henderson defends his lightweight title for the last time against Pettis. The winner will receive a future UFC title shot against the winner of Frankie Edgar vs. Gray Maynard.

The live blog is below.

Anthony Pettis Uses Amazing Kick to Beat Ben Henderson

Filed under: UFC, WEC, NewsAnthony Pettis brought the WEC promotion to an end in style on Thursday night, using one of the most incredible kicks in the history of the sport to seal the victory against Ben Henderson at WEC 53.

The kick all but defies d…

Filed under: , ,

Anthony Pettis brought the WEC promotion to an end in style on Thursday night, using one of the most incredible kicks in the history of the sport to seal the victory against Ben Henderson at WEC 53.

The kick all but defies description: Pettis jumped into the air, pushed off the fence with his foot and landed an incredible head kick at the end of the fifth round, putting an emphatic ending on his unanimous decision victory. The kick looked like something out of a martial arts movie, but Pettis said it’s something he and his coach have been working on.

“Duke Roufus, we practice that all the time,” Pettis said. “I’ve got 10 more of those kicks coming when I’m in the UFC. How do you like that to end the WEC?”

Video: Anthony Pettis’ Showtime Kick Floors Ben Henderson at WEC 53

Filed under: UFC, WECAnthony Pettis is nicknamed “Showtime,” and for good reason. Exhibit A: Pettis’ fifth-round off-the-cage kick that put the finishing touches on Ben Henderson during their WEC 53 match.

Filed under: ,

Anthony Pettis is nicknamed “Showtime,” and for good reason. Exhibit A: Pettis’ fifth-round off-the-cage kick that put the finishing touches on Ben Henderson during their WEC 53 match.

Anthony Pettis’ Striking Coach Duke Roufus Talks About ‘Showtime Kick’

Filed under: UFC, WEC, FanHouse ExclusiveIt was the Kick Heard ‘Round the World, a climbing, twisting, off-the-cage, out-of-the-video-games-and-into-Ben-Henderson’s-face, mind-scrambler of a strike in the 25th and final minute of a WEC championship mat…

Filed under: , ,

It was the Kick Heard ‘Round the World, a climbing, twisting, off-the-cage, out-of-the-video-games-and-into-Ben-Henderson’s-face, mind-scrambler of a strike in the 25th and final minute of a WEC championship match that shot Anthony Pettis into the consciousness of sports fans everywhere.

While his aim is to stay there for more than just one night, it’s safe to say that regardless of his future, the 23-year-old cemented himself a place in MMA history by authoring one of the sport’s most incredible moments.

According to his striking coach, kickboxing great Duke Roufus, it was no accident. Roufus told MMA Fighting that it’s a kick that was conceived a few years ago and practiced weekly by Pettis during training camp.

WEC 53 Aftermath Notes: Video of ‘The Showtime Kick’, Prelim Madness, Bonuses + More

(In slo-mo for your convenience. Props: kemist. Full-speed gif is at the end of this post.)
Let’s get this out of the way: The cage-spring head-kick that Anthony "Showtime" Pettis landed on Ben Henderson in their lightweight title fight at …


(In slo-mo for your convenience. Props: kemist. Full-speed gif is at the end of this post.)

Let’s get this out of the way: The cage-spring head-kick that Anthony "Showtime" Pettis landed on Ben Henderson in their lightweight title fight at last night’s WEC 53 event was 1) The greatest kick in MMA history, 2) Maybe the most impressive knockdown in MMA history, and 3) Further proof that Pettis is one of the most exciting 155’ers in the universe. (He’s also punched his ticket to challenge for the UFC lightweight title against either Frankie Edgar or Gray Maynard, who both look dull as hell by comparison.)

We already knew Pettis was capable of stuff like this, but to have the balls to throw that kick in the fifth round of a title fight? If he planted his foot wrong, the video above might be titled "Ultimate Fail." Instead, he clinched the match on the judges scorecards with absolute authority. Said Pettis after the fight: “Duke Roufus plays with us, and we try these new kicks. He told us if one of us lands it in the cage that he would take us to dinner. So he owes me some dinner.”

The main event earned both men $10,000 Fight of the Night bonuses. As action-packed as the "Henderson vs. Pettis" broadcast was, the unaired prelims were equally hardcore, producing five first-round stoppages in seven bouts…

read more